Fighting Your Way Back
by grimes-slut
Summary: Charlotte O'Hare has been on her own since the death of her younger sister, Abbey. Avoiding people has become her means of survival until she sees a young man being attacked in the woods one day. Normally she would move on, but she just can't. Little does she know, she just set herself on a path she could have never predicted. Rick/OC


A/N: Hey guys! I haven't written in forever and decided to write a Rick Grimes/OC fic. They're really aren't enough out there and he is just a fantastic character! Let me know what you think!

Chapter One

Charlie treks through the woods, looking for some form of fresh tracks. It's been a couple of days since she's caught anything fresh and she would rather spare her last can of cold beans for another day. Suddenly, she hears a commotion from nearby. Charlie grabs her bow and arrow from her back and starts moving slowly towards the sound, careful to miss any twigs that could alert anyone to her presence. The voices begin to clear as she moves closer; she takes cover behind a tree to listen. "Looks like we've got ourselves a feisty one here, boys," she hears a cruel voice say and then a couple cackles echo after. "I said, Fuck off! Let me go!" Charlie hears a younger voice say and immediately begins to move closer to the scuffle. Slowly, she sticks her head out from behind the tree to survey the situation.

Two figures stand in front of a young man; he can't be any older than sixteen. He's tall with long brown hair and a sheriff's hat sitting atop his head. He's held from behind by a larger man; his arm around the boy's neck and a gun pointed at his side. The man in front of him is running his fingers over the blade of a large knife as he looks at the boy with a dark look in his eye and a sinister grin on his face. Another man looks on from beside their leader.

"It's been a while since we've run across anyone; me and my boys are a little pent up if you know what I mean" Charlie hears the man with the knife say and their plans for the teen become apparent to her. The boy's eyes widen and he starts to struggle against the man behind him, which makes them all laugh. "I love it when they fight," She hears one of them say.

Normally she wouldn't intervene, but the thought of what would happen to this poor kid makes her see red. Stepping slowly out of the sanctuary the forest has provided, she sets the leader in her sights and releases. The arrow sails through the air before imbedding itself in his neck. He croaks mid-sentence before falling to the ground. In their shock, the boy is able to bring his head back against his assailant's nose.

He falls away in shock, his hands covering his face before rushing him again. Charlie rushes into the middle of the clearing, pulling her 9 mm from its holster on her thigh. She immediately shoots the other man in the head and looks to see the two struggling. They've turned now and the boy's face is visible as he grapples with his attacker. She shoots the other man in the head and sees him fall to the ground. Placing her gun back in her thigh holster, she starts to move towards the boy. She sees his eyes widen and look behind her as his hands move towards his gun. She turns around and sees another man moving towards her, but she's too late. She feels a sharp, intense pain in her right leg and she falls down on the hard, dense earth.

As she looks up towards the bright sky, she hears another shot and several hurried steps towards her. The boy comes into view as he bends over her. "Holy shit! Are you okay?" he asks.

"Fuck, my leg. Kid, you gotta go." Charlie says, thinking this is the end for her. She has no medical supplies; she barely has any food. The shots will have attracted walkers from miles around and she can't move on her own. He has to get out of here if he has a chance. "No, I have a camp. We have a doctor; they can help you!" He says as he undoes his belt and fastens it around her leg to help stop the blood loss. He then begins to try to help her up. Pain shoots through the right side of her body as he helps her to her feet. Charlie settles her left side against him and he pulls her arm across his shoulder and they begin to hobble back through the woods.

It feels like they walk for miles, every step becoming more excruciating for her. Trying to concentrate on moving forward, she doesn't hear him when he initially begins to speak to her. "What?" she asks as she turns her head to the left, the pain is beginning to make her a bit disoriented. "I said thank you. You know, for saving me back there. I could have taken them if that asshole hadn't come up behind me." He says, never taking his eyes off the road ahead. "Well, I couldn't let those fuckers go through with what they were planning," Charlie begins to see something past the tree line, but is unable to make out what it is. "I'm Carl, by the way,"

"Charlie," she grits out as he begins to move a bit faster. The pain intensifies and she can see that the blur past the trees was actually the base of a large metal wall. The turn to the left as soon as they exit the woods and she sees a large metal gate. "Sasha! Open the gate!" Carl yells as they approach. The gate slides open and she sees a dark-skinned woman holding a large rifle step out. Once she sees Carl and the limping woman she moves towards her other side and begins to help.

"What the hell were you doing out there Carl? Who is this?" Sasha asks as they all walk through the large gate and into the large camp...town seems like a more appropriate description. "No time, we have to get her to Denise!" Charlie hears Carl say as she begins to feel light-headed. Then it all turns black.

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I know its a bit short, but this is just the beginning! I'll try to have longer updates in the future. Till next time!

xx


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